Rockin’ Hollywoods will rock Lakeside Park this Friday

Arts in the Park kickoff concert

It’s that time of the year for a visit by the always popular, always fun Rockin’ Hollywoods.

The entertaining back to the ’50s band will hit the gazebo stage at Lakeside Memorial Park in Forest Lake at 7 p.m. this Friday for the annual kick off concert for the summer Arts in the Park entertainment schedule.

The rockers will be on stage from 7-10 p.m. The concert is free and brought to the public by the Forest Lake Park Board.

The Forest Lake Lions Club will be on hand with its concessions wagon serving food and beverages.

Friday’s concert will launch the summer Arts in the Park concert series which takes place every Tuesday night.

The Tuesday night slate opens on June 12 with a performance by Croix Daddy on the gazebo stage at 7 p.m.

Bob Higgins on bass and vocals, Aaron Rupar on drums and vocals and Johnnie Mann on guitar and vocals make up Croix Daddy.

Since its beginning in 2006, Croix Daddy has been playing to the hearts and souls of live audiences across the St. Croix River Valley. Croix Daddy delivers energetic, straight-up versions of a wide variety of songs, many of them having some kind of country roots, but extending in rock and pop directions.

Higgins, began his early musical career in Boston. Now a resident of Minnesota he collaborated with Mann in 2006 to form Croix Daddy.

Rupar lives in Minneapolis, where he works as a blogger for City Pages. He is an accomplished drummer credited with having played in numerous musical projects in the Twin Cities. When not rockin’ with Croix Daddy, he can be heard playing with Steve Kenny each Wednesday at the Artists’ Quarter in downtown St. Paul.

Mann is native to Minneapolis and renowned for various projects, including The Stoney Lonesome Bluegrass band, and the Mando Boys, an all mandolin ensemble. Mann, on occasion, appears with the Prairie Home Companion Show where he is featured on fiddle and mandolin.

Collectively, Croix Daddy has covered a wide variety of musical genres and selected the best elements from various sources to create its unique blend of music.

Like all Arts in the Park shows, Croix Daddy appears free. Lawn chairs and blankets are good ideas.

Next Tuesday also signals the start of the craft and product vendors who will have booths at Lakeside Memorial Park. The Arts in the Park series continues through Tuesday, Aug. 28 and is capped by the annual free corn feed.

Local farmers will also be at the park for the farmers market from next Tuesday through the end of September.

Other Acts

Below is a list of the other acts that will appear on the gazebo stage.

There are other special events planned on the gazebo stage this summer at Lakeside Memorial Park.

Two special concerts are planned on Wednesday, July 4 leading up to American Legion Post 225’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display over First Lake at 10 p.m.

Shake Down will perform at 5:30 p.m. on July 4th followed by local singer-musician Charlie O who will take the stage for his fireworks concert at 8 p.m.

The park is also the setting for Sunday worship services.

The congregation of Hosanna Lutheran Church conducts a 9 a.m. worship service every Sunday in June, July and August at the park.

Arts in the Park is sponsored by the Forest Lake Park Board and is funded, in part, by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

For more information on Arts in the Park, visit www.forestlakeparks.net.